Hate preachers to be held in separate prison units to curb radicalisationFollowing government review, 'self styled emirs' to be held in separate units in a move which overturns 50 years of policy

Influential hate preachers will be held in separate prison units after an official inquiry found inmates were acting as "self-styled emirs" behind bars.

A government-ordered review into radicalisation in jails has concluded that some charismatic prisoners exerted a "radicalising influence" over fellow Muslims. It also claimed that some have attempted to engineer segregation, encouraged aggressive conversions to Islam, and been involved in the intimidation of prison imams.

The claims have emerged in a review led by former prison governor Ian Acheson and commissioned last year by then justice secretary Michael Gove. Such concerns in Whitehall were disclosed by the Guardian in February.